Month: April 2016

In my book, Dog Care and Training for the GENIUS, I talk in detail about the process of finding your dog. I cannot deny that there are times when a dog just magically shows up and it ends up being a beautiful match. It’s on YouTube, it makes you cry. Me too!

In general though, if you’re thinking about adding a dog to your life, you should really take the time and consider some critical factors – your lifestyle, your living situation, how much hair you can tolerate – will all affect your relationship with your dog. Maybe you hadn’t considered how to get your new bestie from your 20th level condo to street level to do her business? Or … do you really want a puppy when you come home from work and just want to lay on the couch watching Shameless or Walking Dead?

If you haven’t thought through those and other questions, like:

Do I have a securely fenced yard, or do I need to walk my dog on a leash every time he needs to go?

Will the new dog be good with my kids?

How much grooming will she need?

How much exercise?

Then you need my book! But, once you’ve taken the time and read my recommendations, you’re ready to start looking. So where do you start?

Check out this website! PawsLikeMe.com uses a detailed personality quiz to match adopters to available dogs in the Paws Like Me database. Their quiz assesses “core personality traits” that influence how you bond with your dog such as energy and focus. The idea is to keep the perpetual-motion dogs that need lots of training and exercise from going home with the person who just wants to take a nice evening stroll every now and then.

No judgement! We like what we like and that is absolutely okay. This website will recommend dogs that match what you are looking for in your new best friend.

Which is totally awesome! It is so important to focus your pet finding efforts on the rescue/adoption systems. There are so many adoptable dogs that would be your ideal companion, but finding one that suits you can be a terrific challenge. It’s so hard to base a life long decision on just a few minutes looking through chain link. You can and should use all the resources available to you to find a dog that will match your lifestyle.

Because we all want that dog. The one that gets you, that bonds with you, that becomes more than just a pet but is rather a much-loved and trusted friend.

According to Paws Like Me:

“This intelligent matching system has an algorithm that is proven to be over 90% accurate.”

Wow! Naturally you would want to meet the dog, and ideally have it spend a day or two with you to get a complete picture of the dog’s personality and needs. But I was so excited by this that I just had look into it further.

I took their quiz and found that the dogs selected for me were indeed dogs that I would consider a good match. Surprisingly so. Frankly, I was skeptical when I first saw this website. But then I got the results; it made me wish I could bring some of them home! Most were within 10 miles, and the descriptions went well beyond a simple “This is a really sweet dog.” The dog’s personality and behavior were given in a brief description that hit critical elements. They clearly stated if the dog was good with other dogs, cats or kids. If the dog would do better as an only dog, or if it would thrive in a pack situation was typically addressed.

Could Paws Like Me help you find your new BFF? They’re absolutely worth a look.

If you have a pet you know how much joy they bring you. They are there for you on good days and bad days. And no matter how bad your day has been your pet loves you, unconditionally. National Pet Day is all about showing your pet how much you appreciate their companionship. Give them a little extra love and spoiling! That might seem like a no-brainer for a bunch of pet parents.

But what about those people who have no idea what joy pets bring? Show them this!

Pets are good for us. Mentally, physically, emotionally and yes, even spiritually pets teach us to be better people. Don’t believe me?

Having a pet instantly reduces feelings of loneliness because another living being is there sharing your life with you. All pets require interaction and bonding, through training, play or just hanging out together.

Pets encourage you to be more active. Of course dogs need to be walked but cats need exercise too. Or if you have smaller pets like chickens, rats, rabbits you’ll need to keep their enclosures clean as well as your pet excercised.

Pets require love, and they return that love without reservation or hesitation. Practicing love,and opening your heart increases empathy and compassion. We could ALL use more of that!

Having a pet means having a relationship, so you need to be prepared for ups and downs. No relationship is pure bliss from start to finish. Expect that you and your pet will make mistakes. Look at those moments of frustration as lessons in patience and understanding as well as how to keep your cool.

If you’re considering a pet for the first time – Take Your Time! Do not rush into an impulse buy of the first cute baby animal you see. Consider your living situation, your time and availability. Think outside the box! Can’t get a dog or a cat? Small animals like rabbits, ferrets, even rats make wonderful, affectionate companions. Yes, you can even train them!

And always, if you’re going to bring an animal into your life consider adopting from rescue organizations, humane societies and shelters. There are literally millions of animals of every variety available; your new friend is just waiting to be found!